R.I. early education summit: Washington state cited as model

Monday

May 16, 2016 at 8:35 PMMay 16, 2016 at 8:35 PM

Linda Borg Journal Staff Writer @lborgprojocom

PROVIDENCE — Washington state went all in when it decided to make preschool a priority, setting aside $100 million, developing a 10-year plan and creating a separate department for early childhood education.

Betty Hyde, a former director of Early Learning in Washington state, said the most important take-away for Rhode Island is that one agency can't do this alone. Building a robust network of high-quality preschool programs takes leadership, partnerships between the private and public sectors and the involvement of parents.

Hyde was the keynote speaker of Governor Raimondo's Summit on Early Learning at the Providence Marriott on Monday, which drew 200 educators, state leaders and preschool providers from across Rhode Island. The forum was moderated by Elizabeth Burke Bryant, executive director of Rhode Island Kids Count.

A national report by Rutgers University last week gave Rhode Island poor grades for low preschool enrollment but said the state was one of only seven in the country to meet a list of 10 targets that comprise a high-quality program.

A mother of two children, Raimondo described her struggle to get her third-grader to read daily. Access to a quality preschool shouldn't be tied to a family's income or zip code, she said.

"It's the right thing to do for the children," Raimondo said. "But it's also an economic imperative. Shame on us if we don't get all kids ready."

In 2015, only 37 percent of third-graders met or exceeded the standard in third-grade reading in Rhode Island. Numerous studies have shown that children from low-income families are twice as likely to read below grade level by third grade — a critical period when students shift from learning to read to reading to learn.

Hyde cautioned Rhode Island not to sacrifice quality in a rush to expand preschool seats. The state recently used a $50 million federal Race to the Top grant to establish a set of preschool standards and to provide training to help preschools meet those criteria.

Washington state approached preschool education from multiple angles, including families. New parents are trained in "executive function" skills, such as taking a thoughtful pause before yelling at their children. Parents on welfare receive home visits to help them with parenting skills. Washington also took a "whole child" approach to early childhood education, from prenatal care to additional training for preschool teachers.

"We asked parents what they wanted," Hyde said.

Washington also reached out to non-traditional partners, such as the police and the military, to drive home the importance of preschool.

Afterward, several state department heads shared their thoughts on improving and expanding preschool education. State education Commissioner Ken Wagner reminded the attendees that preschool is part of a larger continuum of education and that schools have to help students wherever they enter the system. Just because a child hasn't been served in preschool doesn't mean schools and other agencies can't make a difference as they move through the system.